Authorized location monitoring and notifications therefor

ABSTRACT

Techniques for location tracking, location utilization, and dissemination and management of location information are disclosed. As a location monitoring system, one embodiment includes at least a plurality of mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, and a computing device coupled to a wired network (e.g., the Internet) that couples to the wireless network. Each of the mobile computing devices is associated with and proximate to an object whose location is being monitored. The computing device stores the locations of each of the mobile computing devices or the objects proximate thereto, and enables only authorized users to obtain access the locations via the wired network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/493,550, filed Sep. 23, 2014, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FORAUTHORIZED LOCATION MONITORING”, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein, which in turn is a continuation application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/831,493, filed Mar. 14, 2013, andentitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHORIZED LOCATION MONITORING”, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,868,103, which is hereby incorporated by referenceherein, which in turn is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/150,203, filed Apr. 26, 2008, and entitled“METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHORIZING LOCATION MONITORING”, now U.S. Pat.No. 8,700,050, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, whichin turn is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/797,517, filed Feb. 28, 2001, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FORLOCATION TRACKING”, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,366,522, which is herebyincorporated by reference herein, and which application claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/185,480, filedFeb. 28, 2000, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATION TRACKING”,which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to computing or communication devices and,more particularly, to location tracking of computing or communicationdevices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Today, various types of or computing devices having communicationcapabilities (e.g., wireless communication devices) are available.Examples of computing devices having communication capabilities includepagers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), palm-topcomputers, and electronic schedulers.

Recently, computing devices have been able to detect their locationthough Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) or with the assistance of anetwork (e.g., cellular network). As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,557describes a system in which a GPS receiver is used to measure a positionof a mobile unit (i.e., vehicle), and reports the position on a map.However, such conventional approaches do not allow for control andgeneral utilization of the position information.

Thus, there is a need for ways to utilize position information of mobilecomputing devices.

SUMMARY

Broadly speaking, the invention relates to techniques for locationtracking, location utilization, and dissemination and management oflocation information.

Techniques for location tracking, location utilization, anddissemination and management of location information are disclosed. As alocation monitoring system, one embodiment includes at least a pluralityof mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, and acomputing device coupled to a wired network (e.g., the Internet) thatcouples to the wireless network. Each of the mobile computing devices isassociated with and proximate to an object whose location is beingmonitored. The computing device stores the locations of each of themobile computing devices or the objects proximate thereto, and enablesonly authorized users to obtain access the locations via the wirednetwork.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways including, a method,system, device, and a computer readable medium. Several embodiments ofthe invention are discussed below.

As a method for monitoring position of a plurality of objects, each ofthe objects being or having a mobile computing device proximate thereto,one embodiment includes at least the acts of: obtaining locations forthe mobile computing devices and thus the objects proximate thereto;receiving a request to view the location pertaining to a particular oneor more of the objects; and delivering a response to the request, theresponse including the location pertaining to the particular one or moreof the objects.

As a method for monitoring position of a plurality of objects, each ofthe objects being or having a mobile computing device proximate thereto,one embodiment includes at least the acts of: obtaining locations forthe mobile computing devices and thus the objects proximate thereto;comparing the locations against at least one predetermined locationcriteria; and sending an electronic notification to a predetermineddestination based on the comparing.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of location monitoring system according to oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of client-side location processing according toone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of server-side location management processingaccording to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of server-side location processing according toone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5A is a diagram of an exemplary authorization table in a locationdatabase;

FIG. 5B is a diagram of an exemplary location table in a locationdatabase;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of server-side location monitoring processing;and

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams of server-side registrationprocessing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to techniques for location tracking, locationutilization, and dissemination and management of location information.

Embodiments of this aspect of the invention are discussed below withreference to FIGS. 1-7B. However, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect tothese figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extendsbeyond these limited embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of location monitoring system 100 according toone embodiment of the invention. A location monitoring server 102manages location information pertaining to a plurality of mobile units104. The mobile units are typically attached to objects, such as people,vehicles, or containers. A wireless network 106 enables the mobile units104 to communicate with the location monitor server 102. In oneembodiment, the wireless network 106 couples to the Internet 108 (orother data network). The location monitoring server 102 also couples tothe Internet 108. Location information associated with the mobile units104 is thus able to be delivered to the location monitoring server 102through the wireless network 106 and the Internet 108. A locationdatabase 110 coupled to the location monitoring server 102 can store thelocation information for the mobile units 104. The location monitoringserver 102 is then able to utilize the location information by accessingthe data stored in the location database 110. The location database 110can reside on the location monitoring server or a separate local orremote computer.

The location monitoring system 100 can also include remote computers 112and 114 that can couple to the Internet 108 through various means. Oncecoupled to the Internet 108, the remote computers 112 and 114 can accessthe location monitoring server 102 to receive location related servicesor to otherwise make use of the location information.

Each mobile unit can obtain location information on its location andforward the location information to the location monitoring server (webserver). The location information can be forwarded to the locationmonitoring server by a variety of ways. One way is through use of aShort Message Service (SMS) message. The location information can alsobe obtained by a variety of methods. One method is to provide a GlobalPositioning Satellite (GPS) device within the mobile units. With GPS,the location information obtained can be distances to a plurality ofglobal positioning satellites or can be a determined location fromprocessing of the distances. When only the distances are provided, thenthe mobile unit merely sends the distances and need not performprocessing to determine the location from the distances (instead aserver can do so). Another method is to use location informationobtained from a wireless network. With this method, the wireless networkcan provide location information on some or all of said mobile computingdevices to the location monitoring server. In this case, the mobileunits need not participate in obtaining the location information. As yetanother method, a combination of these or other methods can be used togather an accurate location for the mobile devices. For example, thelocation monitoring server could be provided with location informationprovided from the wireless network as well as location informationprovided by the mobile units themselves. By using the locationinformation from both sources, more accurate and reliable locationdetermination is able to be performed.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of client-side location processing 200according to one embodiment of the invention. The client-side locationprocessing 200 is performed on a client device, such as the mobile units104 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The client-side location processing 200 initially powers-up 204 thelocation detection hardware within the client device. Next, the currentlocation of the mobile communication device (client device) isdetermined 206. A decision 208 then determines whether the currentlocation (CL) is greater than the previous location (PL) by more than adelta amount (Δ). When the decision 208 determines that the currentlocation is not greater than the previous location by more than thedelta amount, the current location is sent 208 to the locationmonitoring server. Here, the current location can be sent to thelocation monitoring server in a variety of different electronic ways.These ways include email, file transfer, etc. Then, the previouslocation is set 210 equal to the current location. Following theoperation 210, as well as directly following the decision 208 when thecurrent location does not exceed the previous location by more than thedelta amount, the location detection hardware within the mobilecommunication devices is powered-down 212. Following the operation 212the client-side location processing 200 is complete and ends.

According to this embodiment, the client device powers up to send itscurrent location to a location monitoring server and then powers down toconserve power usage. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the currentlocation is sent to the location monitoring server only when it differsfrom the previous location by more than a predetermined amount. Thisconserves not only network bandwidth but also power usage at the clientdevice.

Alternatively, the new location could be determined and/or sent onlyafter a sensor internal to the client device (mobile unit) indicatesthat it has undergone significant movement since the previous locationwas obtained. A wide variety of sensors can be used. For example, motionsensors are readily available that indicate distances walked or run.Using such a sensor would reduce the frequency with which the newlocation should be determined and/or transmitted, thus saving networkbandwidth and conserving power consumption. Such a motion sensor can bebuilt into the client device, then if minimal motion detected, then nolocation detection need be triggered (or triggered less frequently).This provides automatic shut down of circuitry within the client devicewhen the client device is not moving, in the evening (e.g., usersleeping), in a meeting, in one's office at work, etc.

As another alternative, invoking of the client-side location processing200 can be performed periodically in accordance with a predeterminedperiod. The predetermined period for the periodic location determinationcan vary with time of day and day of week. For example, the locationdetermination can be made more frequently during the day and lessfrequently in the evening. As a further example, different predeterminedperiod can be assigned for different days of the week.

As still another alternative, the client-side location processing 200can be invoked only when a thermal sensor provided with the clientdevice indicates that the mobile device is being worn by its user. Here,the thermal sensor could be utilized to effectively turn off thelocation monitoring or transmission circuitry and thus conserve powerwhen the client device is not being worn by its user.

As yet still another alternative, the location monitoring server or someother server could send a request for location information to a clientdevice and thus invoke the acquisition of the current location on theclient device. In this regard, the request for the location informationcould be sent to the client devices only when such information is beingremotely monitored by another. Such techniques would also facilitateconservation of power utilization on the client device as well asnetwork bandwidth.

The determination of the location of the client device can thus betriggered or invoked by the client device itself or a locationmonitoring server (or other remote server) using any of a variety ofways (used separately or in combination). The location of the clientdevice (mobile device) can be determined by the client device itself(e.g., using GPS), by a wireless network infrastructure, or through acombination of both.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of server-side location management processing300 according to one embodiment of the invention. The server-sidelocation management processing 300 begins with a decision 302 thatdetermines whether a location update message has been received. Here,the location update message is a message being sent to the locationmonitoring server by a particular one of the mobile units. When thedecision 302 determines that a location update message has beenreceived, then server-side location processing is performed 304. Theserver-side location processing is able to determine the location of themobile unit (mobile communication device) and store the location into alocation database, such as the location database 110 as illustrated inFIG. 1. Additionally, the server-side location processing can notifyinterested registered viewers. Additional information on the server-sidelocation processing is discussed below with respect to FIG. 4.

On the other hand, when the decision 302 determines that a locationupdate message has not been received, then a decision 306 determineswhether a location monitoring request has been received. When thedecision 306 determines that a location monitoring request has beenreceived, server-side location monitoring processing is performed 308.As an example, a location monitoring request is received by remotecomputer, such as one of the computers 112 and 114 illustrated inFIG. 1. The server-side location monitoring processing is able toprovide viewers (e.g., registered viewers at the remote computers) withlocation or position of the one or more mobile units (or associatedobjects) of interest. The server-side location monitoring processing isfurther discussed below with respect to FIG. 6.

Alternatively, when the decision 306 determines that a locationmonitoring request has not been received, then a decision 310 determineswhether a registration request has been received. Typically, theregistration request would be received at the location monitoring serverand would have been sent by one of the remote computers 112 or 114 (ortheir users). In any case, when the decision determines that aregistration request has been received, server-side registrationprocessing is performed 312. The server-side registration processinggenerally operates to register a user, or the user's computer, for usewith the location monitoring system such that location information isable to be accessed and viewed on the viewer's computer. In this regard,various features provide for the mobile users to control who is able toview their location, as well as to send alerts or notifications toauthorized registered viewers when certain location-based events occur.Additional details on the server-side registration processing arediscussed below with respect to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

Following the operations 304, 308 and 312, the server-side locationmanagement processing 300 is complete and ends. However, the server-sidelocation management processing 300 is effectively invoked when anincoming message or request is received at the location monitoringserver.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, when a location monitoring request isreceived from a monitoring party, prior to performing the server-sidelocation monitoring processing, the monitoring party must login with anappropriate user name and/or password. This allows restricted access tothe location information. In one embodiment, the users of the mobileunits can control whether monitoring parties are given access to theirlocation information by authorizing certain monitoring parties.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of server-side location processing 400according to one embodiment of the invention.

The server-side location processing 400 is, for example, performed by alocation monitoring server, such as the location monitoring server 102illustrated in FIG. 1. The server-side location processing 400 initiallyreceives 402 location information. Typically, the location informationis received from a mobile communication device (mobile unit) and/or acarrier network (e.g., wireless network). Next, the location of themobile communication device is determined 404 based on at least thelocation information. Here, the location information could itself besufficient to enable the determination of the location of the mobilecommunication device. Alternatively, the location information could becombined with other information in order to determine the location ofthe mobile communication device (or to more accurately determine thelocation of the mobile communication device). In another embodiment, thelocation information could actually indicate the location. In any case,once the location of the mobile communication device has been determined404, the location is stored 406 in a location database. As an example,the location database can be the location database 110 illustrated inFIG. 1.

Next, a decision 408 determines whether a notification is needed. Here,the server-side location processing 400 is able to send notifications toregistered viewers as appropriate. The decision 408 determines whether anotification is needed to inform one or more registered viewers aboutthe location information that has just been received and processed.Hence, when the decision 408 determines that a notification is needed, anotification message is prepared 410. Then, the notification message issend 412 to the one or more appropriate registered viewers. Followingthe operation 412, as well as directly following the decision 408 whenno notifications are needed, the server-side location processing 400 iscomplete and ends.

As noted above, the server-side location processing 400 includes thedecision 408 that determines whether any notification is needed. Here,based on the location of the mobile communication device, variousnotifications can be initiated. The various notifications can, forexample, alert of a predetermined location, alert of an unauthorizedregion, alert of change in location, etc. The notification can be sentto the monitoring party through an email message (including two-waypager message), an instant response web-based message, through a webpage provided at the mobile communication device, telephone message, andthe like.

FIG. 5A is a diagram of an exemplary authorization table 500 in alocation database. The exemplary authorization table 500 includes a rowof information for each mobile device being monitored. Each row containsinformation on: mobile device identifier, user, supervisor (monitoringparty), password, and whether logged in.

FIG. 5B is a diagram of an exemplary location table 550 in a locationdatabase. The exemplary location table 550 includes a row of locationinformation for each of the mobile devices being monitored. Each rowcontains information on: mobile device identifier, current location, andprevious location. The location can include much more historicalinformation to keep a log of the locations of the mobile device over anextended period of time (e.g., day, week, month, year).

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of server-side location monitoring processing600 according to one embodiment of the invention. The server-sidelocation monitoring processing 600 begins with a decision 602 thatdetermines whether a requesting viewer (monitoring party) has logged-in.Here, typically a request is received from a requesting viewing thatseeks to either to log-in or to receive a location page. Hence, thedecision 602 initially determines whether the requesting viewer islogged-in. When the decision 602 determines that the requesting vieweris not yet logged-in, then a log-in page is sent 604 to the requestingviewer. Then, a decision 606 waits for a log-in response. When thedecision 606 determines that a log-in response has not yet beenreceived, the server-side location monitoring processing 600 effectivelyawaits a log-in response (or a suitable time-out). Once the decision 606determines that a log-in response has been received, then a decision 608determines whether the log-in is successful. When the decision 608determines that the log-in is not successful, then the server-sidelocation monitoring processing 600 is complete and ends with therequesting viewer being denied access to the location relatedinformation. On the other hand, when the decision 608 determines thatthe log-in has been successful, as well as directly following thedecision 602 when the requesting viewer is already logged-in, thelocation for the associated mobile communication device (mobile unit) isretrieved 610. As an example, the location can be retrieved from thelocation database 110 by the location monitoring server 102 illustratedin FIG. 1. Then, a location page using the retrieved information can beformed 612. Here, the location page represents the formatting of thelocation information into a suitable format, such as a document, thatcan be delivered to the requesting viewer. As an example, the locationpage can be a marked-up language document such as HTML, XML, HDML, orother markup language. The location page can also be customized for thetype of computing device being utilized by the requesting viewer. Then,the location page is sent 614 to the requesting user. Following theoperation 614, the server-side location monitoring processing 600 iscomplete and ends with the requesting viewer having received therequested location information.

Following successful login by a requesting viewer (monitoring party),the location for the mobile communication device that the requestingviewer has been authorized to receive is able to be retrieved. Then, thelocation is provided (i.e., sent) to the requesting viewer. In oneembodiment, the location is part of a web page that is sent to therequesting viewer.

A server-side registration processing allows a viewer (requestingviewer) to request to view the location of a particular mobilecommunication device or it associated object. Access is denied if theviewer is not authorized. In one embodiment, the authorization can becontrolled by the owner or user of the particular mobile communicationdevice. The server-side registration processing also allows the viewerto set options. The options that can be set are numerous. Examples ofthe options include notifications or alerts, type of alert ornotification (phone, pager, email, etc.), unauthorized or authorizedlocations, save history or not, labels for different locations (e.g.,home, school, work, etc.). By saving the history (i.e., locationhistory), the viewer is able to subsequently examine a history ofmovement. The history of movement can be presented to the viewer intextual or graphical formats.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams of server-side registration processing700 according to one embodiment of the invention. The server-sideregistration processing is, for example, performed by the locationmonitoring server 102 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The server-side registration processing 700 initially sends 702 a viewerregistration form to a user attempting to register with the locationmonitoring server. As an example, the viewer registration form can bedelivered to a computer associated with the user over the Internet andbe displayed in a browser application associated with the user'scomputer. After the viewer registration form has been sent 702 to theviewer, a decision 704 determines whether the registration form has beensubmitted. Here, the server-side registration processing 700 is awaitingthe return of the viewer registration form. When the decision 704determines that the viewer registration form has not been returned, thenthe server-side registration processing 700 awaits its submission. Onthe other hand, when the decision 704 determines that the viewerregistration form has been submitted (or times-out), then the mobilecommunication device to be monitored is identified 706. The mobilecommunication device to be monitored can be identified 706 from theinformation provided in the viewer registration form or from otherinformation obtained from the viewer (e.g., from a separate page or formsubmitted by the viewer).

Next, a decision 708 determines whether monitoring of the particularmobile communication device has been pre-authorized. When the decision708 determines that the monitoring for the particular mobilecommunication device has not been pre-authorized, then a monitoringrequest message is prepared 710. The monitoring request message is thensent 712 to the particular mobile communication device identified 706.At this point, the server-side registration processing 700 iseffectively waiting for a reply from the particular mobile communicationdevice or its user as to whether or not the requested monitoring isauthorized. When a decision 714 receives a reply to the request forauthorization, then a decision 716 determines whether the reply hasauthorized monitoring. When the decision 716 determines that monitoringhas not been authorized (i.e., monitoring has been denied) then amonitoring denied message/page is sent 718 to the viewer. Thereafter, aserver-side registration processing 700 is complete and ends.

Following the decision 716 when the monitoring has been authorized, aswell as directly following the decision 708 when the monitoring has beenpre-authorized, a monitoring authorized message/page is sent 720 to theviewer. The monitoring authorized message/page informs the viewer thatthe requested monitoring of the particular mobile communication deviceor its associated object has been approved. Then, registrationinformation for the registered viewer is stored 722.

Thereafter, whenever a registered user desires to set options withrespect to the manner in which they monitor location of mobilecommunication devices or its associated object, such registered viewerscan complete and submit an options form. Hence, a decision 724determines whether an options form request has been received. When thedecision 724 determines that an options form request has not beenreceived, then a decision 726 determines whether the server-sideregistration processing 700 is complete. When the decision 726determines that the registration is complete (done), then theserver-side registration processing 700 is complete and ends. On theother hand, when the decision 726 determines that the server-sideregistration processing 700 is not complete, then the server-sideregistration processing 700 returns to repeat the operations followingthe operation 722.

Alternatively, when the decision 724 determines that an options formrequest has been received, then an options form is sent 728 to theregistered viewer. Then, a decision 730 determines whether the optionsform has been submitted. When the decision 730 determines that theoptions form has not yet been submitted, then the server-sideregistration processing 700 awaits submission of such a form. When adecision 730 determines that the options form has been submitted, thenthe options information provided by the options form is stored 732 forthe registered viewer. Following the operation 732, the server-sideregistration processing 700 returns to repeat the operations followingthe operation 722.

It should be noted that the server-side registration processing 700 neednot wait for the form submission at operations 704 or 730, or the replymessage at operation 714, but can instead utilize a database or otherdata store to store state information such that the server-sideregistration processing 700 can proceed efficiently without beingblocked or held-up while waiting for feedback from viewers or users ofmobile communication devices. Such is well know in the programmingfields, particularly with Internet programming.

Still further the invention is suitable for tracking delivery ormaintenance personnel or vehicles. When a delivery or serviceappointment is made, you can receive a code for the truck or person thatis going perform the delivery or service. Then, on the delivery day(days) when the truck or person is to deliver to or service one's homeor business, an alert message or notification can be sent to therequestor (e.g., home owner or office manager). As examples, the messageor notification is electronic and include a page, email or telephonetype messages or notifications. Hence, if the homeowner is impatientlywaiting for the delivery, they can access the location of the truck orperson that is to perform the delivery or service. Still further, therequestor may also obtain schedule information on the person or vehicle,and thus determine how many other are scheduled before you. The schedulecould also be updated by the truck or person (or their business) toreflect an up-to-date version through out their day. Hence, therequestor is able to obtain additional information over the Internetwithout have to wait impatiently or having to phone the associatedbusiness for information.

The mobile unit (client device, mobile communications device or mobilecomputing device) is, for example, one of a pager, mobile phone,personal digital assistant, or reduced size portable computing device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,557 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The invention can, at least partly, be embodied as computer readablecode (computer readable program code) on a computer readable medium. Thecomputer readable medium is any data storage device that can store datawhich can be thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of thecomputer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory,CD-ROMs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computerreadable medium can also be distributed over a network coupled computersystems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion.

The advantages of the invention are numerous. Different embodiments orimplementations may yield one or more of the following advantages. Oneadvantage of the invention is that location of objects can be trackedvia the Internet. Another advantage of the invention is that objects,such as persons, can control the dissemination of their locationinformation. Another advantage of the invention is that alerts ornotification can be triggered based on locations of objects. Anotheradvantage of the invention is that mobile computing devices providinglocation monitoring capabilities are small (e.g., wearable) and offerlow power consumption (e.g., long battery life). Another advantage ofthe invention is that embodiments can operate without user input oractions.

The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparentfrom the written description and, thus, it is intended by the appendedclaims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention.Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation as illustrated and described.Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to asfalling within the scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A location monitoring system for managinglocation information pertaining to a plurality of mobile computingdevices supported by a wireless network, each of the mobile computingdevices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object,said location monitoring system comprising: a computer configured toaccess locations of each of the plurality of mobile computing devices,and said computer enabling authorized users to access the locations ofthe mobile computing devices, wherein said computer is configured toenable setting a plurality of user-specified predetermined notificationlocations for each of the plurality of mobile computing devices, whereinsaid computer determines whether notification should be sent to anauthorized user based on the location of the mobile computing devicecorresponding to an object and based on at least one of the plurality ofuser-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobilecomputing device corresponding to the object, wherein said computersends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has beendetermined that notification should be sent to the authorized user,wherein said computer determines whether the location of the mobilecomputing device corresponding to the object corresponds to at least oneof the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locationsfor the mobile computing device corresponding to the object, andgenerates the electronic notification when it is determined that thelocation of the mobile computing device corresponding to the objectcorresponds to the at least one of the plurality of user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations for the mobile computing devicecorresponding to the object, wherein said computer is configured tostore a user-specific identifier for each of the plurality ofuser-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobilecomputing device corresponding to the object, and wherein the electronicnotification generated concerning the mobile computing devicecorresponding to the object is customized to include at least theuser-specified identifier for at least one of the plurality ofuser-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobilecomputing device corresponding to the object, the includeduser-specified identifier being the user-specified identifier from thestored user-specified identifiers that corresponds to the location ofthe mobile computing device corresponding to the object.
 2. A locationmonitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of theplurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations and theuser-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction withsaid computer.
 3. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 1,wherein one or more of the plurality of user-specified predeterminednotification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor aredefined through interaction with a graphical user interface provided bysaid computer.
 4. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 3,wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all ofthe plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communicationdevices having location detection capabilities.
 5. A location monitoringsystem as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality ofuser-specified predetermined notification locations and theuser-specified identifiers therefor are defined by the authorized userinteraction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.6. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein saidcomputer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all of theplurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communicationdevices having location detection capabilities.
 7. A location monitoringsystem as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic notification is aninstant message.
 8. A location monitoring system for managing locationinformation pertaining to a plurality of mobile computing devicessupported by a wireless network, each of the mobile computing devicesbeing associated with and proximate to a corresponding object, saidlocation monitoring system comprising: a computer configured to accesslocations of each of the plurality of mobile computing devices, and saidcomputer enabling authorized users to access data associated with thelocations of the mobile computing devices, wherein said computer isconfigured to enable storage of a plurality of user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations, wherein said computer determineswhether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on thelocation of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object isat at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predeterminednotification locations, wherein said computer sends an electronicnotification to the authorized user when it has been determined thatnotification should be sent to the authorized user, wherein saidcomputer determines whether the location of the mobile computing devicecorresponding to the object corresponds to at least one of the pluralityof stored user-specified predetermined notification locations, andgenerates the electronic notification when it is determined that thelocation of the mobile computing device corresponding to the objectcorresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations, wherein said computer isconfigured to store user-specified data for each of the plurality ofstored user-specified predetermined notification locations, wherein theelectronic notification generated is customized to include at least theuser-specified data corresponding to at least one of the plurality ofstored user-specified predetermined notification locations, the includeduser-specified data being the stored user-specified data thatcorresponds to the location of the mobile computing device correspondingto the object, and wherein the user-specified data being included in theelectronic notification includes at least a user-specified identifierfor the at least one of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations.
 9. A location monitoring system asrecited in claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of storeduser-specified predetermined notification locations and theuser-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction withsaid computer.
 10. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8,wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifierstherefor are defined through interaction with a graphical user interfaceprovided by said computer.
 11. A location monitoring system as recitedin claim 10, wherein said computer comprises a web server, and whereinsome or all of the plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobilecommunication devices having location detection capabilities.
 12. Alocation monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more ofthe plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notificationlocations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined by theauthorized user interaction with a graphical user interface provided bysaid computer.
 13. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 12,wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all ofthe plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communicationdevices having location detection capabilities.
 14. A locationmonitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein object is a vehicle.15. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein objectis a person.
 16. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8,wherein the mobile computing device corresponding to the object isbattery powered.
 17. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8,wherein the mobile computing device corresponding to the object iswearable.
 18. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 17,wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifierstherefor are defined by the authorized user interaction with a graphicaluser interface provided by said computer.
 19. A location monitoringsystem as recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic notification is aninstant message.
 20. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8,wherein the electronic notification is an instant message.
 21. Alocation monitoring system for managing location information pertainingto a plurality of mobile electronic devices supported by a wirelessnetwork, said location monitoring system comprising: a computerconfigured to access locations of each of the plurality of mobileelectronic devices; a database operatively connected to the computer,said database including stored locations for each of the plurality ofmobile electronic devices, the stored locations for each given one ofthe mobile electronic devices being based on location data acquired atthe respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices;and data storage device operatively connected to the computer, said datastorage including storage of the location data acquired at each givenone of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, storage of aplurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations, andstorage of sensor data for each given one of the plurality of mobileelectronic devices, the stored sensor data being provided by at leastone sensor internal to the respective given one of the plurality ofmobile electronic devices, wherein said computer determines whethernotification should be sent to an authorized user based on the locationof the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronicdevices being at at least one of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations associated with the respectivegiven one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, wherein saidcomputer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when ithas been determined that notification should be sent to the authorizeduser, wherein said computer determines whether the location of therespective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devicescorresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specifiedpredetermined notification locations, and generates the electronicnotification when it is determined that the location of the respectivegiven one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices corresponds toat least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predeterminednotification locations, wherein said computer is configured to storedata for each of the plurality of stored user-specified predeterminednotification locations associated with the respective given one of theplurality of mobile electronic devices, wherein the electronicnotification generated is customized to include at least a portion ofthe data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of storeduser-specified predetermined notification locations, wherein the atleast a portion of the data being included in the electronicnotification includes at least a user-specified identifier for the atleast one of the plurality of stored user-specified predeterminednotification locations, and wherein each of the mobile electronicdevices is associated with and proximate to a corresponding object. 22.A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein thelocation data is acquired on a periodic basis.
 23. A location monitoringsystem as recited in claim 21, wherein the stored location beingacquired for the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devicesis acquired using location data acquired from a combination of the GPSdevice and the accessible wireless network.
 24. A location monitoringsystem as recited in claim 21, wherein the sensor data and the locationdata are used to determine a location of the respective given one of theplurality of mobile electronic devices.
 25. A location monitoring systemas recited in claim 21, wherein the location data is acquired at thegiven one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices via a GPS deviceinternal to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices,or via an accessible wireless network that is accessible to the givenone of the plurality of mobile electronic devices.
 26. A locationmonitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least oneinternal sensor is a motion sensor, and wherein the sensor data ismotion data.
 27. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21,wherein said database stores a series of locations for each of theplurality of mobile electronic devices over a period of time.
 28. Alocation monitoring system as recited in claim 27, wherein the locationdata is acquired at the given one of the plurality of mobile electronicdevices via a GPS device internal to the given one of the plurality ofmobile electronic devices, or via an accessible wireless network that isaccessible to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronicdevices.
 29. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 28,wherein the at least one internal sensor is a motion sensor, and whereinthe sensor data is motion data.
 30. A location monitoring system asrecited in claim 28, wherein the location data is acquired on a periodicbasis.
 31. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 30, whereinthe at least one internal sensor is a motion sensor, and wherein thesensor data is motion data.
 32. A location monitoring system as recitedin claim 31, wherein the sensor data and the location data are used todetermine a location of the respective given one of the plurality ofmobile electronic devices.